Liga Nacional de Fútbol de Guatemala
Liga Nacional de Fútbol de Guatemala (National Football League of Guatemala), formerly known as Liga Mayor "A" '' (Major League "A") is a professional football division in Guatemala, the highest one in the country. It is sanctioned by the Federación Nacional de Fútbol de Guatemala. The champion and runner-up teams of the Liga Nacional's official tournaments qualify to participate in international competitions within the UNCAF and the CONCACAF. Twelve teams currently compose the league and compete for the national title. Municipal, with 28 national titles, is the most successful club in the league to date. History Its first official professional tournament took place in 1942, and succeeded what was known as the ''Liga Capitalina (League of the Capital), which was an amateur tournament that started in 1919. The 1942-43 tournament was played by seven teams in a double round-robin tournament. Three teams – Municipal, Tipografía Nacional, and Guatemala FC – finished tied for the first place after the two rounds. A playoff between the three teams was conducted to determine the winner, with Municipal earning their first national title. Competition Format The league has had several different formats throughout its history; currently, the league season is divided into two tournaments. The Apertura, which is played in the fall, and the Clausura, which is played in the spring. The first 6 clubs in the standings at the end of each competition participate in the playoffs to determine the champion, 1st and 2nd place teams qualify directly to semi-finals, while the others have to play in the quarter-finals. The winners of the Apertura and Clausura tournaments participate in the CONCACAF Champions League. At the end of the season, the 10th placed team (the team with the least number of points) in the final table standings (the combined standings of both, the Apertura and Clausura tournaments) is relegated to the Primera División de Ascenso (2nd division of the league) automatically at the end of the Clausura tournament in late May. The teams finishing 8th and 9th in the final standings enter into a two-legged playoff with the second- and third-placed clubs of the Primera División de Ascenso, respectively. The playoff winners play in the top division while the losers spend the next season in the second division. At the end of 2008-2009 Apertura and Clausura tournaments the league expanded to 12 teams to compete in a larger versions of the Apertura and Clausura tournaments, and at the end of the Apertura and Clausura tournaments). Now the 12th placed team (team with the least of points) in the aggregated table standings (combined standings of both, the Apertura and Clausura tournaments) is relegated to the Primera División de Ascenso (2nd division of the league) automatically at the end of the Clausura tournament in late May. The teams that finish 10th and 11th in the aggregated table standings enter into a two-legged playoff with the second- and third-placed clubs of the Primera División de Ascenso, respectively. The playoff winners play in the top division while the losers spend the next season in the second division. Teams in the league Champions in Guatemalan Football History Champions were: Amateur and Professional Champions. See also *Guatemala national football team External links *League at FIFA *Liga Nacional de Fútbol de Guatemala *Guatemala, 100 años de fútbol - prensalibre.com - Prensa Libre newspaper, Guatemala. *guatefutbol.com Category:Leagues